Nick Cannon’s 5-month-old son Zen has passed away from brain cancer, the comedian tearfully announced on his talk show Tuesday morning. “I haven’t even shared this with anyone, I had a tough weekend,” the father-of-seven began, as he explained how a few months ago his youngest son was diagnosed with Hydrocephalus, a form of cancer where fluid builds up in the brain, creating a tremendous amount of pressure.

Although Zen had surgery a few months ago, his condition worsened around Thanksgiving. By this weekend, Cannon said he spent Zen’s last moments alongside the little boy and his mother Alyssa, watching the sunrise on the beach. “This weekend I made an effort to spend the most quality time with Zen,” Cannon said, beginning to cry. “We woke up on Sunday and went to the ocean with him and Alyssa and then I had to fly back to New York for the show. I got a call on my way to the airport to head back to Zen.”

Cannon said he wanted Tuesday’s show to be a “celebration of life” for his son. “You can’t heal until you feel.”